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SolarWinds NPM is the magic bullet!
Updated July 14, 2020

SolarWinds NPM is the magic bullet!

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM)

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor, for us, is used for the monitoring of servers, networking equipment and other devices. The only department that uses it is information technology. SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor helps us manage what's going on in the environment and also keeps an eye for any machines that go offline anytime during the day or night. Before SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor it was all hit and miss as to when we knew devices were in trouble.
  • The software is very in-depth. You will be able to get metrics and data on things you never thought possible.
  • SolarWinds has a vast array of products in its database so we have yet to add anything that wasn't already included.
  • The reporting is wonderful. It is in-depth and allows us to provide documents to business partners when asked.
  • Sometimes there are too many things to look at. It may be hard to find just what you are looking for. I would prefer a more dumbed down interface or even a guided wizard.
  • It may be our implementation but it seems a little sluggish at times.
  • Upgrading it can be a pain since there may be multiple updates needed to get current.
  • This has allowed us to respond quickly to issues and improve the overall appearance [so] that IT knows what's going on in the environment.
  • Allowed us to have the answers when the business asks about performance issues with a particular server.
  • It has allowed us to better plan for upgrades given the historical data of how much a certain service is being used.
Given SolarWinds' popularity we actually ended up not trying any other products. Over time we have tried to use other systems, such as Spiceworks, for other small things and found it to not be as powerful. Some of the alerting was the same but there was no way to deep dive into the environment like you could with SolarWinds.
The software is powerful and does what its advertised to do. I think that Solarwinds is a perfect candidate for any administrator with at least 25 devices/servers to manage. One of the best things you can do during the selection process would be to get an estimate for the number of interfaces you will have. These can add up fast since everything can be monitored.

SolarWinds NPM Feature Ratings

Network Performance Monitoring
6.9
Automated network device discovery
6
Network monitoring
8
Baseline threshold calculation
6
Alerts
7
Network capacity planning
Not Rated
Packet capture analysis
Not Rated
Network mapping
6
Customizable reports
7
Wireless infrastructure monitoring
Not Rated
Hardware health monitoring
8

SolarWinds NPM Premier Support

SolarWinds NPM ROI Questions

  • Price
  • Product Features
  • Product Reputation
For us the biggest decision was the feature set. There is a lot packed into the product and it ends up being everything that you need. The price is very fair and you get a lot for what you pay. Being able to add on items with very low effort makes it a great buy.

SolarWinds NPM Support

SolarWinds' support is very informed and knows a lot about what issues people may face. They are able to quickly analyze the issue and can communicate well. Communication is key. No one likes feeling like their issue isn't a priority. I understand the need to research a problem before finding the solution and its nice to know they make sure everything it 100% before closing things out.
ProsCons
Quick Resolution
Knowledgeable team
Problems get solved
Kept well informed
No escalation required
Immediate help available
Support understands my problem
Support cares about my success
Quick Initial Response
None
Yes - We pay for premium support for the same reason most people do, we want to be able to get access and help when we need it most. The cost is worked into our yearly budget so it really doesn't bother us. I think for the service level we get, the premium service is worth it.
Some time ago we had an issue with our network performance monitor database. The tech took a look and found that we were running a few versions behind. He took the time to explain the issue and let me know how to properly upgrade the software. He stayed on the phone with me until everything downloaded and I was able to then walk through each thing. He was very calm and informative. I never felt like he was in a hurry to get me off the phone.